eSports

DATA PLATFORM FOR ESPORTS AND GAMING, GRID, SECURES USD 10M SERIES A

Published

5 years ago

April 12, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

GRID receives investment from gaming industry leaders behind Alinea Capital, Bumble Ventures, and NFL’s JuJu Smith-Schuster, to grow its data platform and expand its US presence

GRID Esports GmbH, the leading provider of data solutions for the esports and gaming industry, is announcing the completion of a USD 10 million Series A round of funding. The round includes leading investors in the gaming, iGaming and tech industry: the industry leaders behind Alinea Capital, Bumble Ventures, Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder, as well as NFL Pro Bowl Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The three year old company has made a significant impact on the esports and gaming ecosystem providing the technical capabilities for tournament organizers and game publishers to unlock the engagement and monetization potential of their official in-game data. Data as an asset and the value of data reliant use cases have proven to be a critical part of traditional sports business. Emulating similar dynamics that overcome esports and gaming specific data challenges has the potential to bring immense value and sustained growth to the industry’s ecosystem.

“2020 proved to be a massive growth year in the gaming and esports industry and for our company. We saw wide adoption of our technology across the most renowned players in the ecosystem, and with it, our coverage of esports events and roster of clients grew exponentially,” says Moritz Mauer, CEO and Founder of GRID. “We are in a unique position to leverage technology to standardize esports data by embracing the digital nature of the sport and do so in alignment with rights holders in the space such as game publishers and tournament operators.”

The Berlin-based tech company launched its data platform in 2018 during the FACEIT London CSGO Major and quickly expanded its foothold securing partnerships from other major tournament organizers like FLASHPOINT and WePlay. Within three years the company’s tech infrastructure supported all major esports titles and was integrated by a significant majority of top tier tournament organisers.

“We are impressed by the early success of Moritz and his team, already establishing GRID as the esports data market leader,” Says William Hatle, Portfolio Manager and Partner of Alinea Capital. “We believe GRID’s unmatched esports knowledge and intense focus on delivering top service to its partners and clients is the reason for their success and will continue to be so in the future.”

GRID began expanding its services to the US market at the beginning of 2020 with promising success. The company was a major driver for the first ever esports wager in New Jersey, and will be powering America’s first esports-only sports book launched at SkyUte Casino in Colorado. Now armed with more financial backing, GRID looks to capitalize on their recent momentum in expanding and evangelizing the adoption of their official data assets.

“GRID has already outperformed its traditional sports counterparts in the esports space and we aim to work with them closely to continue this trend. The core team is built from data industry veterans and has used their unique skill sets along with a love for gaming to build a powerhouse of a business,” Carsten Salling, Investment Manager at Bumble Ventures comments. “We are committed to providing the resources to boost GRID to escape velocity and secure the rest of the esports data market.”

Historical investors of the company include Agileo Ventures and Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder. Have reaffirmed their commitment with the company and will continue their support.

“GRID’s pioneering technology unlocks the new commercial potential of esport data. It is a game-changer for teams, tournament organizers, and game publishers,” says Arkadiusz Seńko, Managing Partner of Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder. “We are proud to have been GRID’s partner from the very beginning and we are excited to further support the team in creating a sustainable future for the esports market.”

As with its earlier rounds, GRID worked with sports and entertainment M&A firm Astero Partners. The German legal teams at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliff assisted GRID. Poellath and the German teams of DLA Piper assisted existing shareholders and new investors.

With the USD 10 million investment, GRID will take on the US and look to continue its control of the data infrastructure in an exploding esports market.

BLAST

Team Vitality sweeps NAVI 3-0 to win BLAST Rivals Spring 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-sweeps-navi-3-0-to-win-blast-rivals-spring-2026

Team Vitality won BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas, defeating Natus Vincere 3-0 in the Counter-Strike 2 grand final, according to the organisation’s announcement.

BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 featured eight teams and a $350,000 prize pool. Vitality opened with a 2-1 win over FUT Esports, then beat G2 2-1 in the group winner’s match to book a semifinal spot.

In the semifinals, Vitality moved past GamerLegion 2-0 to reach the final, where it completed a clean sweep of NAVI.

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was named tournament MVP. Vitality also positioned the result as its fifth title of the season and noted it followed its IEM Rio victory and a record of two ESL Grand Slam titles.

The post Team Vitality sweeps NAVI 3-0 to win BLAST Rivals Spring 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

blacklyte

Team Vitality names Blacklyte as new gaming chair partner

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-names-blacklyte-as-new-gaming-chair-partner

Team Vitality has partnered with Blacklyte as its new gaming chair partner, with a rollout planned across the organisation’s teams and physical locations.

Under the agreement, Blacklyte chairs and desks will be deployed across Team Vitality rosters including CS2, Rocket League, VALORANT, LEC, LFL, Rising Bees, Tekken 8, Teamfight Tactics, and Age of Empires II. The equipment will also be installed at facilities including the club’s Paris headquarters (V.Hive), its locations at the Stade de France, and in Berlin.

The companies said the partnership will include co-design work on a “new generation of chairs and desks” aimed at improving playing environments. A co-branded Blacklyte x Team Vitality product line is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2026.

“We are very happy to collaborate with Blacklyte and welcome them to Team Vitality’s partner family. This partnership comes at a historic time for the club on Counter-Strike, alongside the arrival of new flagship rosters, and more broadly reflects our ambition to keep raising our standards in both performance and innovation. Together, we are building environments that enable our players to fully express their potential at the highest level,” explains Vas Roberts, Co-CEO of Team Vitality.

“Team Vitality is one of the most respected names in global esports, and we are excited to collaborate to create this new era of gaming furniture. We will develop a new gaming ecosystem that empowers Team Vitality athletes to train in setups that enhance their playstyles while being supported and stylish,” says Blacklyte CEO Alex Liu. “Blacklyte products have always been at the forefront of redefining performance equipment in esports, and this partnership is a natural step to continue that mission.”

The post Team Vitality names Blacklyte as new gaming chair partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Team Vitality partners with Team Havok to expand in Fortnite

Published

1 week ago

April 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-partners-with-team-havok-to-expand-in-fortnite

Team Vitality has signed a strategic partnership with French Fortnite esports club Team Havok, expanding its footprint in the title as part of its broader diversification strategy. The announcement was made this weekend.

Under the deal, Team Havok will compete as “Team Havok by Vitality” and wear a co-branded jersey featuring Team Vitality’s logo. Team Vitality said the partnership is designed to combine its performance and organisational support with Team Havok’s Fortnite competitive presence.

Team Havok’s recent results cited by the organisations include winning European Major 2 in 2025, finishing runner-up at the World Championship, and ranking as the second-best European team. The duo Tjino and PabloWingu have qualified for this summer’s Esports World Cup and will compete in Team Vitality’s black and yellow colours.

Team Vitality also positioned the partnership as a fan development play in France via co-streaming, content creation, and influencer-led activations. Team Havok co-founders and streamers ZetFar and WaZz were highlighted for their reach with younger audiences.

The organisation said the tie-up follows prior structural collaborations including PSG Esports and Bigetron Esports, and could expand into Fortnite map development, exclusive merchandising, and influencer marketing. “This partnership with Team Havok reflects our ambition to work with the best in order to continue growing Team Vitality. Their performance, creativity, and ability to engage the French community make them an ideal partner,” said Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and Co-founder of Team Vitality. “We are incredibly proud to join Team Vitality. This collaboration with such a prestigious organisation marks a new milestone in the story we are building with our community,” said Grimz, caster at Team Havok.

The post Team Vitality partners with Team Havok to expand in Fortnite appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.